This invention relates to a card game wherein a bank deals five cards to himself and to each of the other players. Each player bets his hand against the bank's hand, similar to the practice used in such games as blackjack and baccarat.
In blackjack and baccarat the object is to have a card hand that has a point total as close as possible to a target value without exceeding that value. In blackjack the target value is twenty one points; in baccarat the target value is nine points.
Point values are assigned to each card, according to the nature of the different cards used in playing the game. Typically, each natural card from two to ten has the value appearing on the card, i.e. from two to ten. Each face card has an assigned value of ten. Each face card has an assigned value of ten; and each ace has a value of one or eleven, at the option of the person holding the card.
The cards in each player's hand are totalled and compared with the point total of the cards in the dealer's hand, to determine each winning hand. As noted above, each winning hand is the hand having the point total closest to the target point total (e.g. twenty one or nine) without exceeding the target point total.
Various patents have issued on variations of the blackjack card game or the baccarat card game.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,193, issued to E. Ferrer on May 24 , 1994, discloses a card game wherein fifty six cards are used, namely a standard deck of playing cards plus four "joker" cards. The cards are assigned values, such that each natural card from two through ten has its face value, each face card has a value of one half point, and each joker has a value of one half point. Each player is dealt two cards, with the option of receiving up to two additional cards if the player believes such additional cards will improve his hand.
The object of the game is to have a card hand that totals an integer plus one half point. If two or more players have hands that total an integer plus one half point, the hand with the highest point total is the winner. Thus, a hand totalling nine and one half points is the winner over a hand totalling seven and one half points. The general object of the game is to receive a combination of face cards (or jokers) and high value natural cards totalling an integer plus one half point. Each game is played with a maximum of of four cards per player so that each game is played in a relatively short period of time; the object is to achieve a rapid exchange of money for maximizing the profits of the casino that provides the game facility.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,189, granted to M. Malek on Jul. 12, 1994, relates to a card game in which the players simultaneously play two card games, namely the game of Twenty One (Blackjack) and Baccarat. In the game of Twenty One the object is to obtain a combination of cards totalling twenty one or less; the player coming closest to twenty one is the is the winner. In the game of Baccarat the object is to obtain a combination of cards totalling nine (without going over nine); the winner is the player coming closest to nine.
In the gaming system proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,189, the playing surface has marked areas for cards being played in the Twenty One game, and other marked areas for cards being played in the Baccarat game. Each player is dealt four cards, with the option of receiving a fifth card if he so desires. Each player places his cards in the marked areas on the game surface, according to his estimation of his best chance for winning both games (Twenty One and Baccarat). The object is to win both games by the wisest placement of the cards. The game rules include provisions, whereby each player can play against the banker (casino), and (optionally) the other players.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,366,228, issued to A. Kangsanaraks, relates to a card game wherein a standard deck of fifty two playing cards is used. Each natural card, from the ace through the nine, is counted at its face value, and each ten and each face card is counted as zero.
Each player plays against the dealer or banker, with the winner being the person having the highest card total, not exceeding nine.
Each player received two cards, with the option of receiving additional cards if the total card valuation in the hand is less than nine. The game rules require that when the card total in any hand exceeds nine, the ten points will be substracted from the total. For example if a person's hand contains cards totalling sixteen, the hand will be considered to have a value of six. This feature gives each player a second chance to achieve a hand coming close to the desired valuation of nine.
Each player has the option of wagering additional money, on the possibility that the cards in his hand will be the same suit (i.e. a flush) or that the cards in his hand will be the same valuation (i.e. a pair). The game rules provide various ways for the players to win or lose money, using rules established for poker or baccarat.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,368,305, granted to J. Rodda et al, discloses a card game wherein the object is to acquire cards having a total value coming as close as possible to seven and one half, without exceeding seven and one half. Each player plays against the dealer or banker in casino-type fashion; the person with the highest card total, not exceeding seven and one half, is the winner.
The game is played with a conventional deck of cards, with certain cards removed, namely the eights, nines, tens and jokers; there are thus forty cards in the deck. Each natural card in the deck has its actual value, while each ace has a value of one, and each face card has a value of one half
Each player is dealt one card, with the option of receiving additional cards so that he can reach a total card valuation as close as possible to seven and one half. Should the card total in a player's hand exceed seven and one half the player automatically loses the hand and the money wagered on the hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,397,128, to M. A. Hesse, deals with a variation of the game of baccarat, wherein the players are allowed to draw three (or more) cards. The face cards count as zero, and the numbered cards have their face values. When the card total in any hand exceeds ten, then the total is reduced by ten; e.g. a hand totalling seventeen is counted as seven. Each player plays against the dealer or house; the winning hand is the hand having a point total closest to nine.
The present invention relates to a card game wherein the playing cards include a full complement of face cards, and a partial complement of the natural (numbered) cards. Selected ones of the natural cards are removed from the playing deck; in one particular game according to the invention the fours and fives are removed from the deck.
The rules for playing the card game, assign different numerical values to the cards, according to the identity of the card. Each natural card, from the ace to the nine has the value appearing on the card, i.e. from one to nine. Each ten and each face card has a zero point value.
The game is played by a process that comprises the bank dealing five cards to himself and each player. Each game participant (bank or player) arranges his cards in separate groups, according to the different suits. For example, cards in the spade suit form one group; similarly, cards in the other three suits (hearts, diamonds or clubs) form three other groups.
The object of the game is to achieve a hand wherein the total point value in any given suit comes as close as possible to a specified target point value without exceeding that value. Each player bets his hand against the hand of the dealer. The winning hand (as between the bank and each player) is the hand having a single suit total point value as close as possible to the target value without exceeding that value. In one particular embodiment of the invention, the target point value is set at five points.
A distinguishing feature of the invention is that the cards in each hand are subdivided into groups according to their respective suits (spades, hearts, diamonds or clubs). The point values for the cards in each group are totalled and compared with the target point value (e.g. five points) to determine a winning hand (bank versus each player).
Each game participant has four different opportunities to achieve a winning hand (because a winning total can be achieved in any one of the four suits). For example, a game participant might have a hand that includes the two and three in any one of the four suits. The point total of five could be a winner in any one of the four suits.
As an option, or variant, of the invention, the rules can provide for other ways to achieve a winning hand. For example, the rules can specify that a hand wherein all five cards are the same suit, can be a winning hand irrespective of the card point total in any one suit. Other variants on the inventive concept can be used, to increase the number of ways in which a winning hand can be achieved.
The game can be played on any appropriate table surface, e.g. a semi-circular table surface as shown in aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,368,305 or U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,189. As depicted in those patents, the semi-circular table surface is designed so that the players sit in a semi-circle facing the bank, such that the bank is able to easily reach the table area in front of each player for purposes of dealing cards and retrieving poker chips or other betting tokens used in playing the card game.
The game of the present invention is playable on any suitable playing surface, using specific combinations of commercially available playing cards. Since conventional game materials are used, the present disclosure does not include drawings of specific game materials or arrangements used in practice of the invention.